107 
mained quietly in my retreat until the ani- 
mal disappeared, and then returned to my 
house." 
This anecdote I thought worthy of being 
published ; but I now return to my narra- 
tive. 
We slept this night on sacks, which our 
host had arranged for our accommodation. 
During the time we were at breakfast, on 
the succeeding morning, our benefactor 
entertained us with some very interesting 
observations respecting the country where 
he resided. He particularly stated the 
hardships which the colonists endured from 
the restrictive orders and persecuting con- 
duct of the government at the Cape. I 
have lead ore,** said he, on my own farm, 
so near the surface that we can scrape it up 
with our hands, and yet we dare not touch 
it : if we were known to melt and use a 
single pound of it, we should be all trans- 
ported, for life, to Batavia.*' It was from 
this honest man I obtained the above in- 
formation, and which I have before men- 
tioned, in my introduction to this Narrative. 
